WEBVTT - Rediscovering Christmas 0:00:08.090 --> 0:00:11.360 A wise counselor once advised, keep the main thing, the 0:00:11.360 --> 0:00:14.750 main thing. But ironically, when it comes to Christmas, you 0:00:14.750 --> 0:00:18.110 and I let other things obscure the profound. But what 0:00:18.110 --> 0:00:20.750 if we got it right? Today you're invited to join 0:00:20.750 --> 0:00:24.590 us for an adventure in rediscovering Christmas. And as part 0:00:24.590 --> 0:00:26.900 of that adventure, we'll tell you everything you need to 0:00:26.930 --> 0:00:29.660 know about this week's events in the Middle East, and 0:00:29.690 --> 0:00:32.600 we'll answer a great set of Bible questions. Welcome to 0:00:32.630 --> 0:00:35.660 the land and the book with Charlie Dyer. And I'm 0:00:35.659 --> 0:00:37.790 John Gager. And you know, Charlie, as the end of 0:00:37.790 --> 0:00:40.820 this year approaches, many world events have left us wondering 0:00:40.820 --> 0:00:44.270 what God's plan is for the future, particularly when it 0:00:44.270 --> 0:00:47.450 comes to Israel. Despite its small size, people around the 0:00:47.450 --> 0:00:51.110 world are just intensely focused on what takes place. There 0:00:51.140 --> 0:00:54.200 are today's headlines connected in any way at all with 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:57.470 prophecies in the Bible. And how should followers of Jesus 0:00:57.470 --> 0:01:00.800 interpret current events as we await his second coming. 0:01:00.830 --> 0:01:03.800 Yeah, John. And to help answer those crucial questions, our 0:01:03.800 --> 0:01:06.380 friends at Life and Messiah urge you to check out 0:01:06.380 --> 0:01:11.030 their book, God, Israel and Bible Prophecy with Scripture as 0:01:11.030 --> 0:01:13.610 its foundation. This book will take you on a journey 0:01:13.610 --> 0:01:16.430 into what God has in store for the Jewish people 0:01:16.430 --> 0:01:19.940 and the nations. This book is for anyone who wants 0:01:19.940 --> 0:01:24.289 to explore where modern day events fit on God's grand timeline. Now, 0:01:24.290 --> 0:01:26.960 if that's you or someone you know, this would be 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:31.400 a great resource or gift. Visit Life in Messiah org 0:01:31.400 --> 0:01:33.860 and click on the Moody Radio button to find out 0:01:33.860 --> 0:01:37.759 how you can receive your copy of God, Israel and 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:41.750 Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org. 0:01:42.110 --> 0:01:44.150 Well, let's take a look at current events from the 0:01:44.150 --> 0:01:48.200 Middle East, where a somewhat shaky ceasefire appears to still 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:51.320 be holding in Lebanon, while talks are also underway to 0:01:51.350 --> 0:01:54.590 resolve the fighting between Israel and Hamas. After more than 0:01:54.590 --> 0:01:57.170 a year, could we finally be seeing the end of 0:01:57.170 --> 0:01:58.340 both conflicts? 0:01:58.370 --> 0:02:00.350 You know, I have a friend who has an expression 0:02:00.350 --> 0:02:04.550 that fits this situation. He would say one could wish. 0:02:04.730 --> 0:02:07.280 The idea being, it's something nice to hope for. But 0:02:07.280 --> 0:02:10.340 don't hold your breath. Now, the cease fire with Hezbollah 0:02:10.340 --> 0:02:13.580 is still in place, in spite of several violations of 0:02:13.580 --> 0:02:18.139 the agreement by Hezbollah. Israel responded militarily to those violations, 0:02:18.139 --> 0:02:21.560 and hopefully the Lebanese army and the monitoring mechanism will 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:24.560 get put in place within the 60 day time frame 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:27.500 and will prove to be effective in keeping Hezbollah from 0:02:27.500 --> 0:02:31.790 rearming and attacking. Hamas has apparently signaled a readiness for 0:02:31.790 --> 0:02:35.150 hostage negotiations and a willingness to drop some of its 0:02:35.150 --> 0:02:38.419 previous demands. Part of the reason for this is apparently 0:02:38.450 --> 0:02:43.760 Hamas's realization that Iran wasn't willing to rescue Hezbollah from Israel, 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.100 and as a result, won't be coming to the aid 0:02:46.100 --> 0:02:50.480 of Hamas either. Negotiations with Hamas are more tentative. An 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:54.320 Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo Thursday for talks, but it's 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:56.600 not yet clear if this is a serious effort on 0:02:56.600 --> 0:03:00.050 the part of Hamas to reach an agreement or just deploy. 0:03:00.050 --> 0:03:02.900 Some of the optimism is being driven by a statement, 0:03:02.900 --> 0:03:05.750 actually a warning to Hamas on the part of president 0:03:05.750 --> 0:03:08.869 elect Trump that he wants a cease fire that includes 0:03:08.870 --> 0:03:12.500 a hostage deal in place before he assumes office, or 0:03:12.500 --> 0:03:15.740 else there are reports Hamas might be willing to allow 0:03:15.770 --> 0:03:19.220 Israel to maintain a temporary presence in the security corridor 0:03:19.220 --> 0:03:21.950 between Egypt and Gaza. Now we'll have to wait and 0:03:21.950 --> 0:03:24.889 see what happens with these negotiations. 0:03:25.010 --> 0:03:29.389 Story number two. 14 years after the Syrian revolution against 0:03:29.389 --> 0:03:33.170 the Assad regime, fighting has again resumed there. How serious 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:35.330 is the conflict and why does it seem to have 0:03:35.330 --> 0:03:37.430 suddenly flared up again? Yeah. 0:03:37.460 --> 0:03:40.280 Right now the conflict appears to be serious. Now, let 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:43.070 me try to provide a simplified explanation of what's really 0:03:43.070 --> 0:03:47.210 a very confusing situation. Syria is controlled by Bashar al 0:03:47.210 --> 0:03:51.200 Assad and the Ba'ath Party religiously. Assad is an Alawite, 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:54.050 which is an offshoot of the Shiite branch of Islam, 0:03:54.050 --> 0:03:57.860 even though most Syrians are Sunni Muslims. Back in the 0:03:57.860 --> 0:04:01.070 early 2000, as the Arab Spring swept through the Middle East, 0:04:01.070 --> 0:04:04.940 it included a revolt against Assad. Part of it was religious, 0:04:04.940 --> 0:04:08.270 with the majority Sunni Arabs chafing under the rule of 0:04:08.270 --> 0:04:11.600 the minority Alawites. The revolt opened the door for ISIS, 0:04:11.630 --> 0:04:15.410 a Sunni Islamic group which eventually took control of northern 0:04:15.410 --> 0:04:19.250 Iraq and a large part of Syria. Assad survived thanks 0:04:19.250 --> 0:04:22.190 to the help of Russia and Iran and Iran's allies 0:04:22.190 --> 0:04:26.330 like Hezbollah. The official government in Damascus remained in power 0:04:26.330 --> 0:04:30.380 thanks to Shiite Muslims and Russia. Well, elements of ISIS 0:04:30.380 --> 0:04:33.739 still remain, along with other Sunni Islamic groups. One of 0:04:33.740 --> 0:04:38.870 those is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. They're abbreviated as Htz. Some 0:04:38.870 --> 0:04:42.109 of the groups received support from Turkey, which has used 0:04:42.110 --> 0:04:45.530 them as mercenaries in its fight against the Kurds. Two 0:04:45.529 --> 0:04:48.650 recent events, though, changed all this equation. The first was 0:04:48.650 --> 0:04:52.730 Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the second was Israel's conflict 0:04:52.730 --> 0:04:55.929 with Hezbollah and Iran. This bogged down the groups who 0:04:55.960 --> 0:04:59.380 were supporting Assad. That is, Russia and Iran keeping them 0:04:59.380 --> 0:05:04.000 from providing additional support, has launched a surprise attack against 0:05:04.029 --> 0:05:07.120 Aleppo and overran the city in a matter of days. 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:10.240 They took over major areas in northern Syria. And one 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:13.570 real fear is that the rebels could overrun military bases 0:05:13.570 --> 0:05:17.740 where chemical weapons are stored. Russia and Iran have provided 0:05:17.740 --> 0:05:20.560 some air support, but they aren't able to offer any 0:05:20.589 --> 0:05:24.279 immediate ground support. And what happens next will depend on 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:28.120 how these different groups respond. Will Assad's forces be able 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:32.140 to beat back the rebels? Will the so-called Syrian National Army, 0:05:32.140 --> 0:05:35.350 which is backed by Turkey, be able to keep from 0:05:35.350 --> 0:05:38.950 advancing further south? Will the Kurds be able to hold out, 0:05:38.950 --> 0:05:41.410 or will they form an alliance with Assad to help 0:05:41.410 --> 0:05:45.070 stop the rebels? Will Russia and Iran be stretched to 0:05:45.100 --> 0:05:49.479 the breaking point, trying to invest more resources to support Assad? 0:05:49.480 --> 0:05:52.720 And how will Israel respond since every one of these groups, 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:56.180 except for the Kurds, oppose them. This could all die 0:05:56.210 --> 0:05:59.150 down rather quickly, or it could become another religious and 0:05:59.150 --> 0:06:03.440 ethnic war pitting Sunnis against Shiites, Turkey against the Kurds 0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:06.619 and Arabs against Persians. But we need to watch to 0:06:06.620 --> 0:06:09.470 see if Russia and Iran can arrange for some sort 0:06:09.470 --> 0:06:13.160 of an agreement between Syria and Turkey to end the conflict, 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:15.740 or if it's going to continue spiraling out of control. 0:06:15.770 --> 0:06:18.080 Charlie, I'm sure there are listeners who, like me, are wondering, 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:20.450 what do Russia and Iran get out of this? You 0:06:20.450 --> 0:06:24.560 can understand Iran being Shiite, having sympathy toward, you know, 0:06:24.589 --> 0:06:27.350 the regime there. But what's in it for Russia? 0:06:27.380 --> 0:06:32.630 Russia's dominant freshwater port in the Mediterranean is Tartus, which 0:06:32.630 --> 0:06:36.739 is part of Syria. And Russia has a base there. 0:06:36.770 --> 0:06:39.860 In fact, there are reports that they've begun evacuating some 0:06:39.860 --> 0:06:42.349 of their ships in that port out of fear that 0:06:42.350 --> 0:06:45.740 the the rebels might end up making it that far down. Wow. 0:06:45.770 --> 0:06:48.500 You're listening to The Land and the book from Moody Radio. 0:06:48.529 --> 0:06:51.740 Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, helping us understand what's happening 0:06:51.740 --> 0:06:55.720 in the Middle East. Archaeologists believe they have identified several 0:06:55.720 --> 0:07:00.460 items belonging to Alexander the Great in a tomb in Vergina, Greece. 0:07:00.490 --> 0:07:03.310 How can they be certain these items actually belong to 0:07:03.339 --> 0:07:07.120 the Alexander the Great? And were they actually found in 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:09.220 the tomb of Alexander the Great? 0:07:09.460 --> 0:07:11.620 Well, let me answer the last question first. They were 0:07:11.620 --> 0:07:14.710 not found in the tomb of Alexander. His exact burial 0:07:14.710 --> 0:07:18.010 spot is still unknown. What they did find were several 0:07:18.010 --> 0:07:21.430 articles they feel certain did belong to Alexander. And they 0:07:21.430 --> 0:07:24.430 were found in that tomb complex in Vergina. One item 0:07:24.430 --> 0:07:27.580 is a purple and white tunic. It matches a design 0:07:27.580 --> 0:07:30.460 on a frieze in the tomb complex, where it's shown 0:07:30.460 --> 0:07:33.910 being worn by Alexander. The amount of purple dye required 0:07:33.910 --> 0:07:36.370 to make the tunic would have cost a small fortune, 0:07:36.370 --> 0:07:39.910 suggesting its owner was someone of great prominence. Near the 0:07:39.910 --> 0:07:43.330 tunic they found a scepter, oak wreath and diadem, all 0:07:43.330 --> 0:07:46.810 made of gold, which match articles shown on reliefs and 0:07:46.810 --> 0:07:51.400 drawings that depict Alexander the Great. If it wasn't Alexander's tomb, 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:54.250 what were these items doing there? Well, the archaeologists believe 0:07:54.250 --> 0:07:58.180 the tomb complex belonged to Alexander's family. The three main 0:07:58.180 --> 0:08:02.470 tombs contain the remains of Alexander's father, Philip II of Macedon, 0:08:02.500 --> 0:08:06.580 Alexander's son, who died in his teens, and Alexander's half 0:08:06.580 --> 0:08:10.870 brother Philip the Third, who was crowned king after Alexander's death. 0:08:10.900 --> 0:08:13.300 The tunic and gold items were found in the tomb 0:08:13.300 --> 0:08:16.750 belonging to Philip the Third, who likely appropriated them after 0:08:16.780 --> 0:08:21.070 Alexander's death to give himself legitimacy as heir to the throne. 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:25.330 This fascinating find helped identify those buried in the tombs, 0:08:25.330 --> 0:08:30.340 and also provide some historical insight into Alexander the Great himself. 0:08:30.340 --> 0:08:32.260 No remains of any bodies, though. 0:08:32.500 --> 0:08:35.650 Well, there were some remains, but again, sadly nothing of 0:08:35.650 --> 0:08:37.030 Alexander the Great yet. 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.120 Well, electric vehicles are said to be the wave of 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:44.320 the future, but one unintended consequence is a rising pile 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:48.369 of expended batteries. A pioneering Israeli company has developed a 0:08:48.370 --> 0:08:52.400 program to recycle the lithium and other toxic materials in 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:55.699 a safe, cost effective way. Tell us about the startup 0:08:55.700 --> 0:09:00.920 company battery and its plan to make recycling lithium batteries commonplace. 0:09:00.950 --> 0:09:02.990 Yeah. Israel is ahead of the U.S. in terms of 0:09:02.990 --> 0:09:07.070 battery powered bikes, scooters and cars. You know, a year ago, 20% 0:09:07.070 --> 0:09:10.880 of all cars purchased in Israel were electric. Scooter and 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:14.900 bicycle batteries last about two years. Car batteries were expected 0:09:14.900 --> 0:09:17.480 to last 5 to 6 years, but the number of 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:21.020 batteries needing to be replaced has increased faster than expected, 0:09:21.020 --> 0:09:24.229 in part because some of the original batteries had defects. 0:09:24.230 --> 0:09:27.740 And for battery, this all looks like an opportunity. They 0:09:27.740 --> 0:09:31.910 formed the company to safely, effectively and economically recycle all 0:09:31.910 --> 0:09:36.080 types of lithium ion batteries. Their production line captures every 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:39.830 speck of battery dust. The recycled powder brings thousands of 0:09:39.830 --> 0:09:43.250 dollars per ton. The plant in southern Israel was just 0:09:43.250 --> 0:09:47.480 inaugurated this past summer and handles everything from £13 scooter 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:51.160 batteries to half ton car batteries to two ton electric 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:55.450 bus batteries. When recycled, each battery produces a 60% mixture 0:09:55.450 --> 0:09:59.559 of black powder composed of nickel, manganese, cobalt, and lithium. 0:09:59.590 --> 0:10:04.150 It also contains, by volume, 17% copper, 8% aluminum, and 0:10:04.150 --> 0:10:07.270 all the rest is plastic, and everything is recycled except 0:10:07.270 --> 0:10:10.660 for the plastic, which right now has little demand. Israel 0:10:10.660 --> 0:10:13.990 has no laws governing the recycling of batteries, and battery, 0:10:14.020 --> 0:10:16.569 wants to set the pace by showing how it can 0:10:16.570 --> 0:10:20.380 do it safely, economically and sustainably. And that is an 0:10:20.380 --> 0:10:24.040 innovation from amazing Israel. I think that we can all applaud. 0:10:24.070 --> 0:10:25.929 Charlie, I want to go back to the story of 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:29.950 Hamas and their surprising supposed willingness to negotiate. Apart from 0:10:29.950 --> 0:10:32.979 Iran's signaling, it will not bail out Hamas, what other 0:10:32.980 --> 0:10:35.800 factor might persuade Hamas to be a bit more conciliatory? 0:10:35.830 --> 0:10:38.260 I think the death of their key leadership, which were 0:10:38.260 --> 0:10:40.990 the ones who were standing firm saying, we will not negotiate, 0:10:40.990 --> 0:10:44.110 Israel needs to pull out. And suddenly without those leaders, 0:10:44.110 --> 0:10:46.240 it made them far more willing to negotiate. 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:49.690 Interesting. We're about to join on an adventure of rediscovering 0:10:49.690 --> 0:10:53.080 Christmas right here on the land and the book. 0:11:06.790 --> 0:11:07.840 For some, the. 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:11.170 Nativity story has become so familiar it's been robbed of 0:11:11.170 --> 0:11:14.770 its power. For others, the biblical narrative is more like 0:11:14.770 --> 0:11:17.290 a puzzle. The pieces are all there, but it's just 0:11:17.290 --> 0:11:20.560 not clear how they all fit together. For example, Luke 0:11:20.590 --> 0:11:23.650 talks about shepherds in a census, while Matthew deals with 0:11:23.650 --> 0:11:26.920 wise men and an escape to Egypt. There's a star 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:29.860 and a manger and more angels than you can count, 0:11:29.860 --> 0:11:31.720 so it can't be hard to keep it all straight. 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:34.030 But what if we could put it all together? Well, 0:11:34.030 --> 0:11:37.810 you're invited to join us for an adventure in rediscovering Christmas. 0:11:37.840 --> 0:11:40.390 A welcome to the second of four segments here on 0:11:40.390 --> 0:11:43.300 the land and the book. I'm John Gager, and let's 0:11:43.300 --> 0:11:45.939 get creative for just a moment and think about ways 0:11:45.940 --> 0:11:48.400 that we can reach out to our Jewish friends with 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:50.620 the message of the one who was born at Christmas. 0:11:51.309 --> 0:11:53.740 So you would like to have a conversation with your 0:11:53.740 --> 0:11:56.770 Jewish friend, and you'd like that conversation to be centered 0:11:56.770 --> 0:11:59.830 on Jesus and your Christian faith. But you're kind of 0:11:59.860 --> 0:12:02.530 nervous because they might just ask a question that you 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:06.459 cannot answer. What then, Greg Savitt, what do you say? 0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:10.059 Well, by your faith in Jesus, the New Testament that 0:12:10.059 --> 0:12:15.160 has over 250 direct quotes and 880 allusions, you will 0:12:15.160 --> 0:12:19.270 know more about the Bible than they will. And if 0:12:19.270 --> 0:12:22.210 they ask a question, go to the gospel of Google. 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:25.150 Look it up right there on your phone, and if 0:12:25.150 --> 0:12:28.540 you don't have an answer, I would go and research 0:12:28.540 --> 0:12:32.050 them and find them the next day and say, I 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:34.270 found the answer that you were looking for, and then 0:12:34.270 --> 0:12:37.960 you can sit down and have a conversation. Jewish people 0:12:37.960 --> 0:12:41.050 will respect you more if you say, I really don't 0:12:41.050 --> 0:12:43.989 know that. That's a great question, as opposed to you 0:12:44.010 --> 0:12:46.980 just flying by the seat of your pants and giving 0:12:46.980 --> 0:12:50.040 them an answer that really you don't know anything about. 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:53.550 So it's okay to say I don't understand and to 0:12:53.580 --> 0:12:54.720 get back to them. 0:12:54.750 --> 0:12:57.929 Greg Savage is with Rock of Israel and joins us 0:12:57.929 --> 0:13:02.130 with insights here on the land and the book. John 0:13:02.130 --> 0:13:05.100 Greco is a writer who served as editor for the. 0:13:05.130 --> 0:13:09.000 He Reads Truth Bible and New Testament theological editor for 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:12.960 the NIV Cultural Background Study Bible. John and his wife, Lauren, 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:16.620 live just south of Nashville, Tennessee, where they're kept sufficiently 0:13:16.620 --> 0:13:19.530 busy raising their three boys. We're here today to focus 0:13:19.530 --> 0:13:22.859 on his new devotional, Rediscovering Christmas. It's great to have 0:13:22.860 --> 0:13:24.959 you on the land and the book, John. 0:13:24.990 --> 0:13:26.760 It's great to be here. Thanks so much. 0:13:26.790 --> 0:13:29.130 One of the things I loved as I spent time 0:13:29.130 --> 0:13:33.360 with rediscovering Christmas is the sense of calm and quiet 0:13:33.360 --> 0:13:36.030 and comfort that just kind of wash over you as 0:13:36.030 --> 0:13:38.490 you read. How do you account for that, John? I mean, 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:40.980 it's almost an antidote to the rush and crush of 0:13:40.980 --> 0:13:42.689 Christmas in book form. 0:13:43.020 --> 0:13:45.210 Yeah. So as we, you know, as we're talking to 0:13:45.210 --> 0:13:47.220 the publisher, when we were kind of making plans for 0:13:47.220 --> 0:13:49.679 how this book might be laid out. That was one 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:52.620 of the concerns, right? Christmas is very busy that season. 0:13:52.620 --> 0:13:55.199 The whole season from, you know, before Thanksgiving right up 0:13:55.230 --> 0:13:58.470 until New Year's. You know, everyone is is running around. So, 0:13:58.500 --> 0:14:00.059 you know, there are a lot of devotionals out there. 0:14:00.090 --> 0:14:02.640 There are a lot of advent reading plans, and they 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:04.890 all seem, you know, they're 25 days or there's nothing 0:14:04.890 --> 0:14:06.420 for you to do every day. It seems like one 0:14:06.420 --> 0:14:08.580 more thing on your to do list. And so we 0:14:08.580 --> 0:14:11.730 wanted to create a book that would help someone, you know, 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:14.760 go a little bit deeper with the Christmas story, spend 0:14:14.760 --> 0:14:18.510 time with the Lord, get that personal reflection, and really 0:14:18.540 --> 0:14:22.920 help someone dive into what was happening in that first Christmas, 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:27.000 but not feel like it's another chore. So you're right, 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:28.920 it is a little bit airy. There's 12. It's set 0:14:28.950 --> 0:14:31.830 up as 12 readings. So, you know, there's 25 days 0:14:31.830 --> 0:14:34.680 in December to Christmas. If you want to go every 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:36.450 other day, you're going to get there. If you want 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:37.950 to go straight through, you're going to get there. But 0:14:37.950 --> 0:14:39.660 if you miss a day, don't worry about it. You 0:14:39.660 --> 0:14:41.730 can go back. For a lot of people, this is 0:14:41.730 --> 0:14:43.560 going to end up being the true 12 days of 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:45.840 Christmas where where they're doing it, you know, once the 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:48.630 rush is over and Christmas has happened, they're doing it from, 0:14:48.660 --> 0:14:52.290 you know, Christmas to January 6th, epiphany. So there's kind 0:14:52.290 --> 0:14:53.490 of a bunch of different ways you can do it. 0:14:53.490 --> 0:14:54.960 But the idea is I don't want to put another 0:14:54.960 --> 0:14:57.240 thing on your back. I just want to help you 0:14:57.270 --> 0:15:00.330 really focus on Christmas and, you know, enjoy it while 0:15:00.330 --> 0:15:01.050 you're doing it. 0:15:01.260 --> 0:15:05.460 You describe Rediscovering Christmas as a modern paraphrase of the 0:15:05.460 --> 0:15:08.880 Christmas story, drawn directly from the Gospels and created to 0:15:08.910 --> 0:15:12.330 help readers see the father's heart and details that are 0:15:12.330 --> 0:15:15.810 all too often overlooked. Give an example of one detail 0:15:15.810 --> 0:15:17.760 that you feel is overlooked. John. 0:15:18.480 --> 0:15:21.750 Yeah, so part of the book is I've retold the 0:15:21.750 --> 0:15:24.090 Christmas story. I mean, I went back to the Hebrew 0:15:24.090 --> 0:15:26.190 and Greek, but I wouldn't call it a translation because 0:15:26.190 --> 0:15:30.600 I'm intentionally filling in details that that Matthew and Luke 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:34.350 leave out. I'm also placing the Christmas story in chronological order, 0:15:34.350 --> 0:15:36.660 because people have sometimes asked me, you know, I've had 0:15:36.660 --> 0:15:37.860 dads come up to me and say, I want to 0:15:37.860 --> 0:15:39.810 read the Christmas story with my family, but, you know, 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:42.150 I don't know where to start or what goes where. 0:15:42.270 --> 0:15:44.370 Where the wise men fit in with the shepherds. And 0:15:44.370 --> 0:15:46.410 so I've kind of laid the whole thing out chronologically, 0:15:46.410 --> 0:15:48.750 so you can read it as one story, but as 0:15:48.750 --> 0:15:51.000 far as details go and things that people often miss. 0:15:51.030 --> 0:15:53.130 Here's a here's a good one. So we've all heard, right. 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:55.950 There was no room at the inn. But if you 0:15:55.950 --> 0:15:59.910 actually look at the word that's often translated inn. It's 0:15:59.910 --> 0:16:03.420 probably better translated as something like guest room. The reason 0:16:03.420 --> 0:16:06.300 we think that is because. So Luke uses that word 0:16:06.300 --> 0:16:09.270 in Luke two. It's the word kataluma, the Greek word kataluma. 0:16:09.270 --> 0:16:12.150 But he describes an inn later in his gospel when 0:16:12.150 --> 0:16:15.150 Jesus is telling the parable of the Good Samaritan and 0:16:15.150 --> 0:16:17.910 it's not that word. So we sort of know, okay, 0:16:17.940 --> 0:16:19.590 if he was going to really talk about an actual 0:16:19.770 --> 0:16:22.530 commercial inn like we would think of, he wouldn't use 0:16:22.530 --> 0:16:26.310 the word kataluma. He does use that word kataluma when 0:16:26.310 --> 0:16:29.220 he's describing the upper room where Jesus and his disciples 0:16:29.220 --> 0:16:31.050 had their last meal. Yes. So that gives you the 0:16:31.050 --> 0:16:32.520 sense that it's really more of like, you know, the room, 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:34.500 you know, at the top of the house, a guest 0:16:34.530 --> 0:16:37.200 room for people. And so that kind of changes the 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:39.780 whole story if you think about it. Because now, instead 0:16:39.780 --> 0:16:43.020 of Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem the night she's 0:16:43.050 --> 0:16:45.359 going to go into labor and they're struggling to find 0:16:45.360 --> 0:16:49.140 an inn, they're probably in a relative's house. And the 0:16:49.140 --> 0:16:51.450 reason they're not in the upper room or the kataluma 0:16:51.450 --> 0:16:53.730 is just because there are other people there. Everyone's coming 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:55.260 to town for the census, so now they're in the 0:16:55.260 --> 0:16:58.710 room below there. There's a manger there. Not because it's 0:16:58.710 --> 0:17:01.290 a barn or a stable or even a cave, but 0:17:01.290 --> 0:17:03.570 because this is the lower room in the house where 0:17:03.600 --> 0:17:05.369 on a really cold night, the animals might have been 0:17:05.369 --> 0:17:08.280 brought in. And so there's not necessarily animals there, but 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:09.990 the manger is there, you know, from when that is 0:17:09.990 --> 0:17:12.240 the case. And so now it's a different picture, right. 0:17:12.270 --> 0:17:15.930 They're in a family home. They're likely surrounded by loved ones. 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:18.180 You know, God's really taking care of them as opposed 0:17:18.180 --> 0:17:20.520 to kind of the way we always picture it, which is, 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:22.800 you know, it's Mary and Joseph fighting against the elements. 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:25.140 They're all on their own. They're suffering for the Lord. 0:17:25.140 --> 0:17:27.810 And it's I don't really think Scripture is telling us that. 0:17:27.810 --> 0:17:30.359 I think it's actually communicating. No, no, no, God is 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:33.240 a good father who provides. And even when it didn't 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:35.159 seem like there was a way to have a relatively 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:38.699 normal childbirth experience, he does it for Mary, who said willingly, 0:17:38.730 --> 0:17:40.860 you know, be it to me, as you say, to 0:17:40.890 --> 0:17:44.130 Angel Gabriel. And so I think that's a beautiful picture. 0:17:44.220 --> 0:17:47.129 And we often kind of miss. And it's because of 0:17:47.130 --> 0:17:50.070 that one little word. Right? Yeah. So that's the sort 0:17:50.100 --> 0:17:52.080 of thing that I point out in the book, this is. 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:54.630 The land and the book. I'm John Gager, and we're 0:17:54.630 --> 0:17:57.810 talking today with John Greco, who encourages us to be 0:17:57.810 --> 0:18:01.379 rediscovering Christmas. In reading number four, you take us to 0:18:01.410 --> 0:18:04.230 the birth of John the Baptist, and you write, holding 0:18:04.230 --> 0:18:07.290 their little boy in their arms, the one God who 0:18:07.290 --> 0:18:10.800 chose to prepare the way for the Messiah. Zechariah and 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:15.780 Elizabeth understood that Yahweh is indeed gracious, more gracious than 0:18:15.780 --> 0:18:18.570 they could ever have imagined. Elaborate. Just a bit more 0:18:18.570 --> 0:18:19.170 on this. 0:18:19.650 --> 0:18:21.899 Yeah. So there's this thing that happens. We all know 0:18:21.900 --> 0:18:24.690 the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, right? They're an older couple. 0:18:24.690 --> 0:18:28.200 They can't have children. They're beyond childbearing age. They most 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:30.510 likely have been praying for decades. And the answer seemed 0:18:30.510 --> 0:18:34.139 to be no. And then Zechariah is in the temple 0:18:34.170 --> 0:18:36.540 offering up incense. It's his turn to do it. His 0:18:36.540 --> 0:18:39.240 his division was there time, and he was chosen by 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:41.790 lot from the division. So he's doing this once in 0:18:41.820 --> 0:18:44.070 a lifetime honor. He's in the temple, and an angel 0:18:44.070 --> 0:18:47.460 appears to him. And it's Gabriel. And he says, your 0:18:47.460 --> 0:18:50.190 prayer has been heard. Right. And it's kind of this 0:18:50.190 --> 0:18:52.919 funny thing because there's really two prayers, right? It's pretty clear. 0:18:52.950 --> 0:18:56.070 Gabriel is talking about his prayer for a child. But also, 0:18:56.100 --> 0:18:58.740 you know, he was in there offering incense, praying for 0:18:58.740 --> 0:19:01.770 Israel in the hope of Israel. And so the hope 0:19:01.770 --> 0:19:04.080 of Israel, the hope of Zechariah and Elizabeth. It's being 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:07.470 answered in one fell swoop with a baby. That baby 0:19:07.470 --> 0:19:10.590 is John the Baptist. The funny thing is, is if 0:19:10.590 --> 0:19:15.570 you go into the names Elizabeth and Zechariah, there's sort 0:19:15.570 --> 0:19:19.889 of a a funny thing that happens where Zechariah's name 0:19:19.890 --> 0:19:24.750 means Yahweh remembers and Elizabeth's name means my God is 0:19:24.750 --> 0:19:27.600 an oath. So every time they speak to one another, 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:32.399 they're being reminded that, hey, does God remember? Remember my prayer? Hey, 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:34.590 is God going to keep his promise? He told Abraham 0:19:34.590 --> 0:19:37.169 that you know his his children, his descendants would be 0:19:37.350 --> 0:19:39.510 no more than the sands on the seashore. And what 0:19:39.510 --> 0:19:41.040 about me? Am I included in that? Am I going 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:43.440 to get to have children? And so it's kind of 0:19:43.470 --> 0:19:47.400 this almost bittersweet reminder every time their names are spoken. 0:19:47.400 --> 0:19:51.479 And if you go into Luke where John the Baptist 0:19:51.480 --> 0:19:55.050 is born and Zechariah is praising God, he says this 0:19:55.050 --> 0:19:58.199 thing that just kind of answers that. He says, let 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:00.330 me read it for you. This is Luke one. So 0:20:00.330 --> 0:20:03.300 I'll start with verse 72. Zechariah's praise of God. He 0:20:03.300 --> 0:20:06.150 says he has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and remembered 0:20:06.150 --> 0:20:09.210 his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our 0:20:09.210 --> 0:20:14.400 father Abraham. So Zechariah's recognizing that God's answering these longings right. 0:20:14.400 --> 0:20:16.709 And then God does this thing with another name. He 0:20:16.710 --> 0:20:19.470 tells them, right, name the child John. Well, John means 0:20:19.500 --> 0:20:22.710 Yahweh is gracious. And that's the answer to their prayers 0:20:22.740 --> 0:20:25.709 is yes. God is more gracious than you could have imagined. Right? 0:20:25.740 --> 0:20:28.470 So it's this beautiful picture that we often miss because 0:20:28.500 --> 0:20:30.120 we don't necessarily go back and go, what do these 0:20:30.119 --> 0:20:33.889 names mean? But there it is, right? God answers the 0:20:33.890 --> 0:20:36.560 longings of our hearts and oftentimes in ways better than 0:20:36.560 --> 0:20:37.460 we could have imagined. 0:20:37.490 --> 0:20:40.340 John Greco is a writer who served as editor for 0:20:40.340 --> 0:20:43.820 the He Reads Truth Bible and New Testament theological editor 0:20:43.820 --> 0:20:47.810 for the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. In a reading 0:20:47.840 --> 0:20:50.480 titled The Sign of the manger, you write, the feeding 0:20:50.510 --> 0:20:54.590 trough wasn't simply a makeshift cradle. It pointed to Jesus 0:20:54.590 --> 0:20:57.860 purpose on earth. What do we need to know about this, John? 0:20:57.890 --> 0:21:00.830 Yeah, so this is another one where the angel that 0:21:00.830 --> 0:21:04.429 appears to the shepherds, right? He's very specific in the 0:21:04.430 --> 0:21:07.160 language that's chosen. He says this will be a sign 0:21:07.160 --> 0:21:10.040 for you. You will find the baby wrapped in a manger, 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:12.980 wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And 0:21:12.980 --> 0:21:15.530 that word sign in the Bible. Signs are a big deal, right? 0:21:15.560 --> 0:21:19.129 Signs point to prophetic revelation. They point to miracles. They 0:21:19.130 --> 0:21:22.609 point to divine uncoverings. There's kind of like a lot 0:21:22.640 --> 0:21:25.850 loaded in a sign. And so we should think, well, 0:21:25.850 --> 0:21:28.160 what is this sign? What is so special? It's more 0:21:28.160 --> 0:21:30.350 than just. Oh, yeah, like you said, it's more than 0:21:30.350 --> 0:21:33.320 a makeshift cradle. And so when you think about it, right, 0:21:33.350 --> 0:21:34.700 what is what is a manger? A manger is a 0:21:34.700 --> 0:21:38.510 feeding trough. It's where animals go to eat. And Jesus, 0:21:38.540 --> 0:21:40.370 you know, when he's an adult and he's in his ministry, 0:21:40.400 --> 0:21:43.520 he's going to say, I'm the bread of life. You know, 0:21:43.550 --> 0:21:46.399 you must eat of my flesh. And this is in 0:21:46.400 --> 0:21:48.770 John six. And when he tells the crowds this, they 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:51.290 it says, you know, the many disciples stopped following him 0:21:51.290 --> 0:21:54.830 because it's such teaching. But that's the reality. If we 0:21:54.859 --> 0:21:56.540 are going to be saved, if we are going to 0:21:56.570 --> 0:22:00.200 truly know God, we have to partake of Jesus life. 0:22:00.200 --> 0:22:04.310 And so it's fitting then, that when Jesus was born, 0:22:04.310 --> 0:22:06.800 he was placed in a manger, which is where you know, 0:22:06.830 --> 0:22:09.020 what goes into a manger, dies so that the sheep 0:22:09.050 --> 0:22:11.360 can have life. And, you know, as Isaiah famously said, 0:22:11.359 --> 0:22:14.600 we all, like sheep have gone astray. We need that life. And, 0:22:14.630 --> 0:22:18.410 you know, again, Bethlehem means house of bread. So, so 0:22:18.440 --> 0:22:20.450 it's all these little details are so fitting to kind 0:22:20.450 --> 0:22:24.440 of point us forward past Christmas, to Easter, to the cross, 0:22:24.440 --> 0:22:26.330 because that really, you know, if you think about Christmas, 0:22:26.330 --> 0:22:29.359 the good news of Christmas, it really isn't good news 0:22:29.359 --> 0:22:32.060 without Easter, right? We are in need of a savior. 0:22:32.090 --> 0:22:34.609 We needed the cross. We need the empty tomb. And 0:22:34.609 --> 0:22:37.520 so I always say, the best way to look at 0:22:37.550 --> 0:22:40.040 Easter is to look through the manger and see that 0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:41.780 that was part of God's plan all along. That's what 0:22:41.780 --> 0:22:45.350 Jesus came for. That is how he is our Savior. 0:22:45.350 --> 0:22:47.990 As the angel told those shepherds just. 0:22:47.990 --> 0:22:50.480 Joining us, I'm John Gager and today on the land 0:22:50.480 --> 0:22:53.060 and the book, it's a visit with John Greco, who 0:22:53.090 --> 0:22:55.880 has written Rediscovering Christmas. I want to talk about two 0:22:55.880 --> 0:23:00.020 other characters in the Christmas story, Simeon and Anna. You 0:23:00.020 --> 0:23:03.620 write to anyone who might have passed by Simeon or Anna. 0:23:03.650 --> 0:23:06.710 They would have seemed of little consequence. Just two old 0:23:06.740 --> 0:23:10.010 timers in the temple courts. But God saw them for 0:23:10.010 --> 0:23:13.369 who they were, his friends, and they were beautiful in 0:23:13.369 --> 0:23:16.340 his sight. What does that say to folks listening right now, John, 0:23:16.340 --> 0:23:19.820 to this conversation who feel old and worn out and 0:23:19.820 --> 0:23:20.960 lacking worth? 0:23:21.230 --> 0:23:24.350 Yeah. So it's true, right? We would have looked at 0:23:24.350 --> 0:23:26.450 Simeon and Anna and not really thought much about them. 0:23:26.450 --> 0:23:29.030 They weren't priests, they weren't wearing all the garb and 0:23:29.030 --> 0:23:32.090 they weren't the supposed representatives of God and all that. 0:23:32.090 --> 0:23:34.760 They were just regular people. But they. The Bible tells 0:23:34.760 --> 0:23:37.070 us that they both walked with the Lord. The Holy 0:23:37.070 --> 0:23:40.760 Spirit was upon Simeon. Anna was called a prophetess. So 0:23:40.760 --> 0:23:43.160 they're both, you know, they both have the spirit at 0:23:43.160 --> 0:23:45.379 work in their lives, and they're obeying him and they're 0:23:45.410 --> 0:23:49.669 they're looking for the Messiah. So what's funny there is, 0:23:49.700 --> 0:23:52.190 you know, Jesus is we sort of know the story, right? 0:23:52.250 --> 0:23:53.780 We know Jesus is going to come to die for 0:23:53.780 --> 0:23:56.300 our sins. He is the sacrificial lamb. One of the 0:23:56.300 --> 0:23:59.600 jobs of the priests in the temple was to to 0:23:59.630 --> 0:24:02.659 identify and to review and to say, this sacrifice is 0:24:02.660 --> 0:24:06.379 approved and Jesus comes to them and they present him 0:24:06.380 --> 0:24:09.020 as part of the dedication. And, you know, the priests 0:24:09.020 --> 0:24:11.090 don't recognize who he is, and we can't really blame them. 0:24:11.090 --> 0:24:16.040 Jesus looks like a normal baby, but there's no supernatural insight. However, 0:24:16.070 --> 0:24:19.250 God reveals who Jesus is, who this little Jewish baby 0:24:19.250 --> 0:24:22.070 that looks like a thousand others, who he is to 0:24:22.100 --> 0:24:24.740 people you would not have expected, right? Simeon and Anna. 0:24:24.740 --> 0:24:26.510 And that's sort of the nature of the kingdom, right? 0:24:26.540 --> 0:24:28.550 God looks at what's going on in your heart. God 0:24:28.580 --> 0:24:30.169 looks for who his friends are, who the people who 0:24:30.200 --> 0:24:33.050 are really chasing after him, and those are the people 0:24:33.050 --> 0:24:35.300 he reveals his secrets to. Those are the people he 0:24:35.300 --> 0:24:38.629 speaks to in ways that the religious folks, the people 0:24:38.660 --> 0:24:40.639 who seem to have it all together on the outside. 0:24:40.670 --> 0:24:42.920 They often miss it because they're not walking in that 0:24:42.920 --> 0:24:45.800 union with God the way someone like Simeon or Anna 0:24:45.800 --> 0:24:47.359 would have. So, you know, I look at that and 0:24:47.359 --> 0:24:49.670 I say, wow, there's hope for me. Right. I'm not 0:24:49.670 --> 0:24:52.250 anybody special. But if I keep on walking with the Lord, 0:24:52.280 --> 0:24:54.710 you know, I keep listening to his voice, you know, 0:24:54.740 --> 0:24:57.830 looking for what the spirit is leading me to. I 0:24:57.830 --> 0:24:59.270 can be part of God's story. I can be part 0:24:59.270 --> 0:25:00.139 of God's plan. 0:25:00.859 --> 0:25:02.750 Well, this is going to be cruel, but I'm going 0:25:02.780 --> 0:25:05.270 to ask you to limit it to 1 or 2 sentences. 0:25:05.270 --> 0:25:08.090 When we've turned the last page in this book, how 0:25:08.090 --> 0:25:10.130 would you like us to be different, John? 0:25:11.060 --> 0:25:11.840 Oh, well. 0:25:11.840 --> 0:25:13.250 What you said in the intro, you know, I really 0:25:13.250 --> 0:25:15.200 want people to see the heart of the father. I 0:25:15.200 --> 0:25:17.030 really want to see. I want people to see that 0:25:17.030 --> 0:25:19.760 throughout this whole story, as it is with the whole Bible, 0:25:19.760 --> 0:25:23.120 what's really there is a good God who loves us, 0:25:23.119 --> 0:25:26.540 who's gracious, who opens the way for us to be 0:25:26.540 --> 0:25:29.550 with him forever, to have joy and peace and life. 0:25:29.550 --> 0:25:32.490 And that's all there in the Christmas story, right? And 0:25:32.490 --> 0:25:34.230 so I just that's what I hope people walk away 0:25:34.230 --> 0:25:35.970 with a good sense of the heart of the father. 0:25:36.450 --> 0:25:40.410 Well well done. And, John, thank you for rediscovering Christmas. 0:25:40.440 --> 0:25:42.510 There's a link to that book at our website, The 0:25:42.510 --> 0:25:46.170 Land and the book. Org. Thanks for the visit. Hope 0:25:46.170 --> 0:25:47.490 you have a great Christmas, John. 0:25:47.520 --> 0:25:48.869 Thank you. Merry Christmas. 0:25:48.900 --> 0:25:51.600 Well, coming up on the program, Charlie Dyer returns to 0:25:51.630 --> 0:25:55.649 answer your questions right here on the land and the book. 0:26:06.869 --> 0:26:08.910 Hope your day is going well. This is the land 0:26:08.910 --> 0:26:12.090 and the book from Moody Radio. I'm John Gager. Our host, 0:26:12.119 --> 0:26:16.140 Doctor Charlie Dyer, is here to answer Bible questions, prophecy questions, 0:26:16.140 --> 0:26:20.369 questions about Israel, the end times. Yeah, it's all good stuff. 0:26:20.369 --> 0:26:22.199 And it's all coming your way next here on the 0:26:22.200 --> 0:26:24.330 land and the book. But, you know, as the end 0:26:24.330 --> 0:26:27.350 of the year approaches, many world events have left us 0:26:27.350 --> 0:26:30.620 wondering what is God's plan for the future? And this 0:26:30.619 --> 0:26:33.680 is especially true when it comes to Israel, right? Despite 0:26:33.680 --> 0:26:37.340 its tiny size, people around the world are intensely focused 0:26:37.340 --> 0:26:40.879 on what takes place in Israel. So are today's headlines 0:26:40.880 --> 0:26:44.300 connected in any way with prophecies in the Bible? How 0:26:44.300 --> 0:26:47.929 should followers of Jesus interpret current events as we await 0:26:47.930 --> 0:26:49.100 his second coming? 0:26:49.130 --> 0:26:51.709 And to help answer those important questions, our friends at 0:26:51.740 --> 0:26:55.940 Life and Messiah encourage you to check out their book, God, Israel, 0:26:55.940 --> 0:26:59.930 and Bible Prophecy with Scripture as its foundation. This book 0:26:59.930 --> 0:27:02.240 will take you on a journey into what God has 0:27:02.240 --> 0:27:05.600 in store for the Jewish people and the nations. The 0:27:05.600 --> 0:27:08.240 book is for anyone who wants to explore where modern 0:27:08.240 --> 0:27:12.320 day events fit on God's grand timeline. If that's you 0:27:12.320 --> 0:27:15.260 or someone you know, this would be a great resource 0:27:15.260 --> 0:27:19.250 or gift. Visit Life in Messiah. Org and click on 0:27:19.250 --> 0:27:21.500 the Moody Radio button there to find out how you 0:27:21.500 --> 0:27:26.090 can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible prophecy. 0:27:26.090 --> 0:27:29.060 That's life in messiah.org. 0:27:29.150 --> 0:27:31.850 And because our list of questions is always a long one, 0:27:31.850 --> 0:27:34.220 we'll get right to it with this one from Nancy. 0:27:34.250 --> 0:27:37.040 She says, what is the meaning of first Corinthians 11, 0:27:37.070 --> 0:27:40.490 verse ten, where Paul said women ought to have authority 0:27:40.490 --> 0:27:43.610 over their own head because of the angels. What could 0:27:43.609 --> 0:27:46.730 angels possibly have to do with head coverings? The entire 0:27:46.730 --> 0:27:49.310 passage seems out of date. However, I am aware that 0:27:49.310 --> 0:27:52.399 all Scripture is God breathed and meant to train us. 0:27:52.430 --> 0:27:55.280 Any enlightening you can offer will be helpful. 0:27:55.310 --> 0:27:58.369 Yeah, well, within this section of First Corinthians, Paul's addressing 0:27:58.369 --> 0:28:01.369 issues that were related to the exercise of personal liberty 0:28:01.400 --> 0:28:05.570 versus demonstration of proper respect and concern for others. In 0:28:05.570 --> 0:28:08.780 chapter nine, he explained what his rights were as an apostle. 0:28:08.810 --> 0:28:10.820 But then he says, I've not used any of these 0:28:10.820 --> 0:28:14.450 rights in verse 15. In chapter ten, he uses Israel 0:28:14.450 --> 0:28:17.450 in the wilderness as an example before making his point 0:28:17.450 --> 0:28:20.300 against setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 0:28:20.300 --> 0:28:23.540 And finally he says, there everything is permissible, but not 0:28:23.570 --> 0:28:26.840 everything is beneficial. That's in verse 23. And his point 0:28:26.840 --> 0:28:29.330 is that no one should seek his own good but 0:28:29.330 --> 0:28:32.210 the good of others. Then in chapter 11, Paul deals 0:28:32.210 --> 0:28:35.690 with the issue of personal freedom versus concern for and 0:28:35.690 --> 0:28:39.170 submission to others in matters of public worship. Now, I'm 0:28:39.170 --> 0:28:42.530 not sure we fully understand all the cultural distinctives of 0:28:42.530 --> 0:28:45.229 first century Corinth, and I think we sometimes focus on 0:28:45.230 --> 0:28:48.770 those details rather than the main topic being addressed. I 0:28:48.770 --> 0:28:51.200 think the main points Paul is making are clear, though. 0:28:51.230 --> 0:28:53.780 He begins by focusing on the reality that we are 0:28:53.780 --> 0:28:56.480 to display proper respect for authority as a way to 0:28:56.510 --> 0:29:00.530 honor God. Paul applies this to men, women, and Christ 0:29:00.530 --> 0:29:03.110 in verse three. He then explains how the willingness to 0:29:03.140 --> 0:29:06.590 demonstrate such respect is to be displayed within the gathering 0:29:06.620 --> 0:29:09.320 of the local church. While the specifics of how we 0:29:09.320 --> 0:29:13.190 are to demonstrate respect and proper biblical submission might vary 0:29:13.190 --> 0:29:16.520 within cultures. Two statements Paul makes seem to say, we 0:29:16.520 --> 0:29:19.280 can't simply throw out the entire section by saying it's 0:29:19.280 --> 0:29:22.630 just cultural at first. In verses eight and nine, Paul 0:29:22.660 --> 0:29:26.980 anchors his statements in creation itself. Complementary roles for men 0:29:26.980 --> 0:29:30.430 and women were established as part of God's creative order. 0:29:30.430 --> 0:29:33.580 And second, in verse ten, Paul anchors his statement about 0:29:33.580 --> 0:29:37.060 the need to demonstrate proper respect and submission in the 0:29:37.060 --> 0:29:40.390 reality that we're being observed by the angelic order. We 0:29:40.390 --> 0:29:44.020 only understand a small sliver of all that's involved in 0:29:44.020 --> 0:29:47.680 God's creation of angels and in Satan's rebellion. But Paul 0:29:47.680 --> 0:29:50.170 wants his readers to understand that the angels are watching 0:29:50.170 --> 0:29:53.920 the outworking of God's program for humanity, to understand the 0:29:53.920 --> 0:29:58.480 importance of obedience, submission, and respect for authority. Americans like 0:29:58.480 --> 0:30:01.270 to focus on our rights. Paul's stressing our need to 0:30:01.300 --> 0:30:04.780 focus on our responsibilities, and that's an important lesson for 0:30:04.780 --> 0:30:05.830 us to remember. 0:30:05.860 --> 0:30:09.070 Gene takes us to Genesis three verse 15, where it 0:30:09.070 --> 0:30:13.390 says that Satan will bruise the heel of Jesus. She asks, 0:30:13.390 --> 0:30:14.860 what does that mean? 0:30:14.890 --> 0:30:18.220 Yeah, I actually believe Genesis 315 is the first messianic 0:30:18.220 --> 0:30:21.100 prophecy in the Bible. The seed of the woman was 0:30:21.100 --> 0:30:24.400 ultimately Jesus and his followers, and the seed of the 0:30:24.400 --> 0:30:28.330 serpent referred to Satan and all his demonic followers. Satan 0:30:28.330 --> 0:30:31.570 tried to strike at or crush or bruise Jesus by 0:30:31.570 --> 0:30:33.880 killing him. He had. Herod ordered the killing of all 0:30:33.880 --> 0:30:36.700 the babies in Bethlehem. He tried to get Jesus to 0:30:36.730 --> 0:30:39.430 sin when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, and he 0:30:39.430 --> 0:30:41.950 entered the heart of Judas to betray Jesus in the 0:30:41.950 --> 0:30:45.700 Garden of Gethsemane, however, Satan was only able to strike 0:30:45.730 --> 0:30:48.880 at Jesus's heel in the sense that his plan failed 0:30:48.880 --> 0:30:52.090 when Jesus rose from the dead. In contrast, Jesus will 0:30:52.090 --> 0:30:54.940 eventually strike at Satan's head in the sense that Satan 0:30:54.940 --> 0:30:56.920 and his followers will be sent to the lake of 0:30:56.920 --> 0:31:00.340 fire for eternal punishment. One last thought you might wonder 0:31:00.340 --> 0:31:02.560 if this is what the verse actually means, or if 0:31:02.560 --> 0:31:04.780 I'm somehow reading into it. Well, I believe that's what 0:31:04.780 --> 0:31:08.800 was intended, because later in Romans 16, verse 20, Paul 0:31:08.800 --> 0:31:11.470 alludes to this verse to encourage the believers in Rome 0:31:11.470 --> 0:31:14.110 as he writes, The God of peace will soon crush 0:31:14.110 --> 0:31:16.720 Satan under your feet. Paul makes it clear that the 0:31:16.720 --> 0:31:20.020 serpent being referred to as Satan, God through Jesus is 0:31:20.020 --> 0:31:21.940 the one who's going to crush him. And in first 0:31:21.940 --> 0:31:24.790 Corinthians six three, we're told that we will also take 0:31:24.790 --> 0:31:27.010 part in God's judgment of the angels. 0:31:27.010 --> 0:31:29.560 This is the land and the book from Moody Radio 0:31:29.560 --> 0:31:33.130 segment three Questions and Answers. Charlie Dyer, our host. I'm 0:31:33.130 --> 0:31:35.830 John Gager. Patty wants to know, do you know where 0:31:35.830 --> 0:31:38.560 I can get a list showing how the different names 0:31:38.560 --> 0:31:42.610 of God, like Jehovah Jireh and Jehovah Nissi are spelled 0:31:42.610 --> 0:31:45.040 in both English and in Hebrew? 0:31:45.100 --> 0:31:47.950 Well, a good source for information like this is a website. 0:31:47.950 --> 0:31:51.190 It's called Blue Letter Bible. They have a number of 0:31:51.190 --> 0:31:53.680 helpful tools for Bible study, including a section on the 0:31:53.680 --> 0:31:56.320 names of God in the Old Testament, and they even 0:31:56.320 --> 0:31:58.510 provide a link for each name that will show you 0:31:58.510 --> 0:32:01.120 how it's written in Hebrew. Uh, this. 0:32:01.120 --> 0:32:05.050 Question from Mary in William Newell's commentary on Hebrews, he writes, 0:32:05.050 --> 0:32:08.800 Christ did not resume the flesh and blood life that 0:32:08.800 --> 0:32:12.910 he had before dying. That life was laid down ended. 0:32:12.940 --> 0:32:15.640 Mary says, I understand that as risen and at God's 0:32:15.640 --> 0:32:18.920 right hand, Jesus doesn't have the human weakness or fallibility 0:32:18.920 --> 0:32:21.650 that a fleshly body would have. But I thought he 0:32:21.650 --> 0:32:25.160 kept his humanness rather than becoming a spirit I don't understand. 0:32:25.190 --> 0:32:26.150 Thanks for your help. 0:32:26.180 --> 0:32:29.180 Yeah, I don't believe Newell is saying that Christ's physical 0:32:29.180 --> 0:32:32.480 body ceased to exist following his death on the cross. Rather, 0:32:32.480 --> 0:32:34.550 I believe he's trying to draw a distinction between the 0:32:34.550 --> 0:32:38.030 physical body Jesus had prior to his crucifixion and the 0:32:38.030 --> 0:32:42.290 resurrection body he had afterward. In first Corinthians 15, Paul says, 0:32:42.290 --> 0:32:46.340 the resurrection body is fundamentally different from our current body. 0:32:46.490 --> 0:32:48.650 He writes, so it will be with the resurrection of 0:32:48.650 --> 0:32:51.230 the dead. The body that is sown is perishable. It 0:32:51.230 --> 0:32:54.050 is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor. It's raised 0:32:54.050 --> 0:32:57.080 in glory. It's sown in weakness. It's raised in power. 0:32:57.110 --> 0:33:00.590 It's sown a natural body. It's raised a spiritual body. 0:33:00.620 --> 0:33:03.920 The scriptures also make it clear that following his resurrection, 0:33:03.920 --> 0:33:07.280 Jesus wasn't just a ghost or an apparition, though his 0:33:07.280 --> 0:33:10.400 body was different. For example, he was able to disappear 0:33:10.400 --> 0:33:13.520 from two disciples in Emmaus and then later appeared to 0:33:13.520 --> 0:33:16.490 the disciples in Jerusalem. But in the same passage, when 0:33:16.490 --> 0:33:18.970 the disciples cry out thinking he's some sort of a 0:33:19.000 --> 0:33:21.969 ghost or spirit. It says he showed them his hands 0:33:21.970 --> 0:33:25.270 and his feet. Apparently demonstrating that his body still bore 0:33:25.270 --> 0:33:28.660 the marks of the crucifixion. When they continued having doubts, 0:33:28.660 --> 0:33:31.660 he asked for something to eat. Jesus was even more 0:33:31.660 --> 0:33:34.570 specific when he later appeared to Thomas, and told Thomas 0:33:34.570 --> 0:33:37.120 to touch his hands and ask Thomas to place his 0:33:37.120 --> 0:33:40.990 hand in Jesus's side to feel the marks from the crucifixion. 0:33:41.230 --> 0:33:45.220 Jesus possessed an actual physical body, though he was resurrected 0:33:45.220 --> 0:33:48.190 and glorified. I don't believe we can fully understand what 0:33:48.220 --> 0:33:51.190 a resurrection body is like, which is why Paul focused 0:33:51.190 --> 0:33:54.250 on that in first Corinthians 15. It's a real, tangible 0:33:54.280 --> 0:33:57.550 body that's recognizable, and yet it's also different than the 0:33:57.550 --> 0:34:00.760 physical body we have today. I think we'll definitely be 0:34:00.760 --> 0:34:04.120 amazed when we receive our resurrection bodies, and I know 0:34:04.120 --> 0:34:06.370 they will be similar to the one Jesus received in 0:34:06.370 --> 0:34:09.279 his resurrection. And frankly, I can't wait. 0:34:09.310 --> 0:34:13.510 Todd wonders, could you please explain Isaiah 42 verses 18 0:34:13.540 --> 0:34:16.340 through 20? To me, I'm struggling to know who it 0:34:16.340 --> 0:34:17.270 refers to. 0:34:17.300 --> 0:34:19.940 Yeah, I see these verses referring to the nation of Israel, 0:34:19.940 --> 0:34:23.510 especially the people who ended up in Babylonian exile because 0:34:23.510 --> 0:34:26.330 of their disobedience. Going back to the announcement of that 0:34:26.330 --> 0:34:30.350 exile back in chapter 39 of Isaiah. This chapter introduces 0:34:30.350 --> 0:34:34.220 us to the first of four servant songs. That's chapters 0:34:34.219 --> 0:34:38.000 42 and 49 and 50. And then in 53, as 0:34:38.000 --> 0:34:41.090 each song builds, the ultimate servant Israel, that is, the 0:34:41.090 --> 0:34:44.630 Messiah fulfills everything that the original servant Israel, that is 0:34:44.630 --> 0:34:48.080 the nation had failed to accomplish. He becomes the light 0:34:48.110 --> 0:34:50.690 to the Gentiles, but he also died to bring the 0:34:50.690 --> 0:34:52.820 people of Israel back to God. And he actually mentions 0:34:52.820 --> 0:34:56.150 that in chapter 49, verses five and six. Now, within 0:34:56.150 --> 0:34:59.330 this larger context, God points out why this new servant, 0:34:59.360 --> 0:35:03.080 whom he identifies as Israel in 49 three is needed. 0:35:03.110 --> 0:35:06.080 Though the nation was originally called to be God's servant, 0:35:06.110 --> 0:35:08.630 to take the light of God's word to the Gentiles, 0:35:08.630 --> 0:35:12.140 the people had become deaf and blind themselves. I see 0:35:12.140 --> 0:35:16.170 the servant songs as an ever narrowing funnel. In the beginning, 0:35:16.170 --> 0:35:19.230 the people and this individual are both identified as God's 0:35:19.230 --> 0:35:22.620 servant Israel. But the original Israel, the nation had failed, 0:35:22.650 --> 0:35:25.259 had become deaf and blind to God himself, and had 0:35:25.260 --> 0:35:27.989 ended up themselves needing to be brought back to God. 0:35:28.020 --> 0:35:31.739 As Isaiah continues, it becomes clear that the ultimate servant, Israel, 0:35:31.739 --> 0:35:34.650 is the Messiah, Jesus, who will be rejected by the 0:35:34.650 --> 0:35:37.020 people and put to death. But his death is what 0:35:37.020 --> 0:35:40.710 will provide atonement for both Israel and the Gentiles. As 0:35:40.710 --> 0:35:43.980 Isaiah 53 says, he was despised and rejected by men, 0:35:44.010 --> 0:35:46.800 a man of sorrow and familiar with suffering, like one 0:35:46.800 --> 0:35:49.350 from whom men hide their faces. He was despised, and 0:35:49.350 --> 0:35:52.470 we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities 0:35:52.469 --> 0:35:55.799 and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, 0:35:55.830 --> 0:35:58.500 smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for 0:35:58.500 --> 0:36:02.100 our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment 0:36:02.100 --> 0:36:04.710 that brought us peace was upon him, and by his 0:36:04.710 --> 0:36:07.799 wounds we are healed. So really, as you start with 0:36:07.800 --> 0:36:10.950 Isaiah 42 and go to Isaiah 53, you see this 0:36:10.950 --> 0:36:14.340 servant who starts out like Israel but becomes everything Israel. 0:36:14.370 --> 0:36:17.820 The nation had failed to be. And ultimately dies to 0:36:17.850 --> 0:36:20.550 provide Israel and the nations salvation. 0:36:20.580 --> 0:36:22.830 Well, we've been all over the map here. Old Testament, 0:36:22.860 --> 0:36:26.790 New Testament, deep questions, historical questions. And was one of 0:36:26.790 --> 0:36:29.460 them your questions? If not, you need to send it 0:36:29.460 --> 0:36:32.040 to us. You can do that easily at the land 0:36:32.040 --> 0:36:36.180 and the book@moody.edu. Give us a few days to get 0:36:36.180 --> 0:36:37.980 an answer to you and then hang on for a 0:36:37.980 --> 0:36:40.830 few weeks or months as we get it on the broadcast. 0:36:40.830 --> 0:36:44.460 Coming up, Charlie Dyer's devotional. I love these devotionals and 0:36:44.460 --> 0:36:46.500 so many of you have already said you do, so 0:36:46.500 --> 0:37:03.420 stick around for more. Everybody loves a great story, particularly 0:37:03.420 --> 0:37:07.050 a story about somebody who's gone from rags to riches. Well, 0:37:07.050 --> 0:37:09.930 it's not rags to riches, but it's pit to palace. 0:37:09.930 --> 0:37:12.150 As we look at the life of Joseph and your 0:37:12.150 --> 0:37:15.509 devotional coming up, Charlie. Interesting life Joseph led, wasn't it? 0:37:15.540 --> 0:37:18.779 Absolutely. One of the real heroes of the faith, especially 0:37:18.810 --> 0:37:20.460 at that point in the Bible's history. 0:37:20.489 --> 0:37:23.280 Yeah, I'm looking forward to that devotional after this Holy 0:37:23.280 --> 0:37:25.860 Land experience, a testimony you and I should listen to 0:37:25.890 --> 0:37:26.850 right now. 0:37:30.780 --> 0:37:34.560 I'm Doris Bailey from Vail, Colorado, and I am so 0:37:34.560 --> 0:37:38.009 privileged to have been here. I was in Israel probably 43, 0:37:38.040 --> 0:37:42.120 44 years ago, and my goodness, it's the traffic was 0:37:42.120 --> 0:37:44.820 bad then. You ought to see it now. And it's 0:37:44.820 --> 0:37:48.150 worth every traffic jam you'll ever be in. I think 0:37:48.180 --> 0:37:50.340 that being with a group from the church is a 0:37:50.340 --> 0:37:54.450 new experience for me, and I have been overwhelmed with 0:37:54.450 --> 0:37:58.560 the people in this group. There just hasn't been a complainer. 0:37:58.590 --> 0:38:02.790 There hasn't been a problem. I think that Christians being 0:38:02.790 --> 0:38:07.290 with Christians has just been a profound experience for me 0:38:07.290 --> 0:38:12.090 on this trip, and then thinking about the people of 0:38:12.090 --> 0:38:18.930 the time of Jesus, I just cannot fathom and understand 0:38:18.930 --> 0:38:24.540 and comprehend that I can now see where Jesus walked 0:38:24.540 --> 0:38:27.840 and I have been staggered by the experience. And thanks 0:38:27.840 --> 0:38:31.230 to everyone that was with me, because you shared your 0:38:31.230 --> 0:38:34.770 lives with me, and I love every one of them. 0:38:36.840 --> 0:38:38.940 All right, let's go to the story of Joseph. I'm 0:38:38.940 --> 0:38:40.799 looking forward to this. Charlie, take it away. 0:38:40.800 --> 0:38:42.960 Thanks, John. And I got to start by saying, what 0:38:42.960 --> 0:38:45.270 was the worst day of your life? You know, a 0:38:45.270 --> 0:38:47.879 day that was the pits. I suppose we all have 0:38:47.880 --> 0:38:51.150 those days we'd like to forget. For me, one of 0:38:51.150 --> 0:38:53.910 the finalists for the worst day of my life was 0:38:53.910 --> 0:38:57.029 in the early 1980s. I think mentally I blotted out 0:38:57.030 --> 0:38:59.879 the exact date, but I remember the day well. I 0:38:59.880 --> 0:39:02.910 had just failed the German exam required for my doctoral 0:39:02.910 --> 0:39:06.540 program for the second time. I remember going home in 0:39:06.540 --> 0:39:09.029 a funk and saying to my wife, that's it, we're 0:39:09.030 --> 0:39:13.080 out of here. Thankfully, she didn't share that sentiment and 0:39:13.080 --> 0:39:16.170 cooler heads prevailed. I took a different approach to learning 0:39:16.200 --> 0:39:19.500 theological German and passed the test on the next attempt. 0:39:19.500 --> 0:39:22.740 But I still remember that day. And it was the pits. 0:39:22.770 --> 0:39:25.380 In a wild twist of fate, one of the best 0:39:25.380 --> 0:39:28.529 days of my life took place about four years later. Thankfully, 0:39:28.530 --> 0:39:30.870 there are a number of best days I can remember 0:39:30.870 --> 0:39:33.899 from coming to faith to getting married. But the day 0:39:33.900 --> 0:39:36.270 I have in mind, here is the day I finally 0:39:36.270 --> 0:39:39.120 got to visit the ancient city of Babylon. That was 0:39:39.120 --> 0:39:41.670 the subject of my master's thesis. And here I was, 0:39:41.670 --> 0:39:45.870 walking the actual street traversed by Daniel and standing in 0:39:45.870 --> 0:39:51.239 the remains of King Nebuchadnezzar's throne room. That day was unforgettable. 0:39:51.239 --> 0:39:53.730 In the space of just a few years, I went 0:39:53.730 --> 0:39:57.330 from the pits to standing in that palace. But reading 0:39:57.330 --> 0:39:59.759 the Bible I learned I wasn't alone in such wild 0:39:59.760 --> 0:40:04.560 swings and circumstances. In fact, over 3800 years before my experience, 0:40:04.590 --> 0:40:09.090 Abraham's great grandson had a very similar experience. And yet, 0:40:09.090 --> 0:40:11.759 for young Joseph, the journey from a pit to a 0:40:11.760 --> 0:40:15.180 palace took more than just a few years. But I'm 0:40:15.180 --> 0:40:17.310 getting ahead of myself, so follow me. As we trace 0:40:17.310 --> 0:40:20.730 Joseph's wild roller coaster ride that sent him into the 0:40:20.730 --> 0:40:24.569 depths before rocketing him up to the heights. Our first 0:40:24.570 --> 0:40:27.570 stop on this journey is near the ancient town of Dothan. 0:40:27.600 --> 0:40:31.410 Dothan's visited by very few tourists today, but that's because 0:40:31.410 --> 0:40:34.410 the road to Dothan from the Jezreel Valley runs through 0:40:34.410 --> 0:40:37.650 the modern Arab town of Jenin. Let's just say Janine 0:40:37.650 --> 0:40:39.900 is one of those towns you don't want to visit 0:40:39.900 --> 0:40:42.720 if you value the windshield of your car or bus. 0:40:42.719 --> 0:40:45.810 And that's a shame, because the road that passes by 0:40:45.810 --> 0:40:48.150 is one of the three main routes south from the 0:40:48.150 --> 0:40:51.930 Jezreel Valley. The more direct road passes by Megiddo, but 0:40:51.930 --> 0:40:56.040 the Dothan Pass was a well-known roadway for ancient travelers. 0:40:56.070 --> 0:40:58.350 As we stand here, we see a group of ten 0:40:58.350 --> 0:41:01.950 men watching over flocks of sheep and goats nearby. They're 0:41:01.950 --> 0:41:04.259 looking toward the South, and they seem to be arguing 0:41:04.260 --> 0:41:09.150 over a lone figure in the distance, walking their direction. Oh, no. 0:41:09.150 --> 0:41:12.600 It's daddy's little spy coming to check up on us. 0:41:12.630 --> 0:41:16.500 I could spot that fancy robe he's wearing anywhere. What's 0:41:16.500 --> 0:41:18.930 he doing up here? I think it's time we taught 0:41:18.930 --> 0:41:23.250 him a lesson. 17 year old Joseph was too far 0:41:23.280 --> 0:41:26.310 away to hear the angry words being spoken by his brothers. 0:41:26.310 --> 0:41:28.440 He was on a mission from his father to check 0:41:28.469 --> 0:41:32.040 up on his family, and even finding them hadn't been easy. 0:41:32.070 --> 0:41:35.460 He started out from his father's tent near Hebron, and 0:41:35.460 --> 0:41:38.400 had been told his brothers were grazing near Shechem, over 0:41:38.400 --> 0:41:42.120 50 miles away. But on arriving there, he discovered his 0:41:42.120 --> 0:41:46.170 brothers had moved from Shechem to Dothan, another 18 miles. 0:41:46.170 --> 0:41:48.900 And because they were so far from home, several of 0:41:48.900 --> 0:41:51.299 the brothers decided this might be a good time to 0:41:51.330 --> 0:41:54.570 get rid of young Joseph. You know the story. The 0:41:54.570 --> 0:41:57.450 brothers ganged up on Joseph, tore off his robe and 0:41:57.450 --> 0:42:01.020 threw him into a nearby cistern, spotting a caravan of 0:42:01.020 --> 0:42:04.529 Midianite merchants traveling south along the roadway on their way 0:42:04.530 --> 0:42:07.620 to Egypt, the brothers decided to sell Joseph as a 0:42:07.620 --> 0:42:11.310 slave to at least make a little financial profit off 0:42:11.340 --> 0:42:15.450 their evil deed. They sold Joseph for 20 shekels of silver. 0:42:15.480 --> 0:42:18.630 Each of the ten brothers netting a profit of two shekels, 0:42:18.630 --> 0:42:22.560 the rough equivalent of two days wages from his father's 0:42:22.560 --> 0:42:25.530 favored son, to being mugged by his brothers and thrown 0:42:25.530 --> 0:42:28.290 into a pit, to being bought as a slave and 0:42:28.290 --> 0:42:31.739 carried off to Egypt. Joseph's life ended up in the 0:42:31.739 --> 0:42:35.550 pits and kept getting worse. You know what happened next? 0:42:35.580 --> 0:42:39.810 Joseph ended up as a slave in Potiphar's house. God 0:42:39.810 --> 0:42:43.560 was with Joseph and he found favor in Potiphar's eyes. Unfortunately, 0:42:43.560 --> 0:42:46.710 he was also eyed by Potiphar's wife, who made Joseph 0:42:46.710 --> 0:42:50.250 an offer she was sure he couldn't refuse. Come to 0:42:50.280 --> 0:42:54.780 bed with me. Joseph's refusal infuriated her, and when he 0:42:54.780 --> 0:42:59.009 literally fled sexual immorality with her still holding his cloak, 0:42:59.040 --> 0:43:02.549 she charged him with attempted rape. The pit that Joseph 0:43:02.550 --> 0:43:05.150 was in seemed to get even deeper. He went from 0:43:05.150 --> 0:43:07.730 being a slave to being thrown into a cell in 0:43:07.730 --> 0:43:11.510 the royal prison once again. Though Joseph's faithfulness seemed to 0:43:11.540 --> 0:43:14.719 offer a ray of hope, Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker were 0:43:14.719 --> 0:43:18.020 both thrown into prison, and while there each had a dream. 0:43:18.020 --> 0:43:21.770 Joseph interpreted both dreams, and they came true. Just as 0:43:21.770 --> 0:43:25.100 he predicted. The cupbearer was restored to his position in 0:43:25.100 --> 0:43:29.299 three days, and Joseph had one request remember me, show 0:43:29.300 --> 0:43:32.360 me kindness, and remember me to Pharaoh. But the prison 0:43:32.390 --> 0:43:37.190 door slammed shut for another two years. The cupbearer forgot. 0:43:37.219 --> 0:43:40.489 Now put yourself in Joseph's place. We might say our 0:43:40.489 --> 0:43:42.350 life is the pits. If we have a bad day 0:43:42.380 --> 0:43:45.860 or a bad few days. Joseph's time in the pit 0:43:45.860 --> 0:43:48.680 and as a slave, and then falsely charged and sent 0:43:48.680 --> 0:43:53.450 to prison lasted 13 years. That's enough to make anyone 0:43:53.450 --> 0:43:57.650 become cynical and jaded, but not Joseph. Pharaoh had a 0:43:57.650 --> 0:44:00.979 dream and it jogged the Cupbearers memory. Joseph was brought 0:44:00.980 --> 0:44:03.500 from the prison to the palace to interpret the dream. 0:44:03.500 --> 0:44:06.710 And as they say, the rest is history. Now, at 0:44:06.710 --> 0:44:09.470 the still young age of 30, Joseph was placed in 0:44:09.469 --> 0:44:12.140 charge of the whole land of Egypt. He helped store 0:44:12.140 --> 0:44:15.140 up grain during the seven years of plenty to bring 0:44:15.140 --> 0:44:18.259 Egypt through the following seven years of famine, and when 0:44:18.260 --> 0:44:21.109 the years of famine gripped the land, including the land 0:44:21.110 --> 0:44:24.739 of Canaan, where Joseph's family still was living, the aged 0:44:24.739 --> 0:44:28.489 patriarch Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain 0:44:28.489 --> 0:44:32.180 from a human perspective. Joseph had to understand the irony 0:44:32.210 --> 0:44:35.510 of this situation. The brothers who had wanted to enslave, 0:44:35.540 --> 0:44:39.590 even kill him, were now begging for bread. He literally 0:44:39.590 --> 0:44:43.009 had the power of life or death over them. Joseph 0:44:43.010 --> 0:44:45.500 finally revealed to his brothers who he was, and in 0:44:45.500 --> 0:44:49.640 a bit of understated elegance, Moses recorded what happened next. 0:44:49.820 --> 0:44:52.250 But his brothers were not able to answer him because 0:44:52.250 --> 0:44:56.150 they were terrified at his presence. Joseph then explained the 0:44:56.150 --> 0:44:59.660 larger issues in play. Do not be distressed and do 0:44:59.660 --> 0:45:02.420 not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because 0:45:02.420 --> 0:45:04.790 it was to save lives that God sent me ahead 0:45:04.790 --> 0:45:09.410 of you. Later, following the death of Jacob, Joseph reaffirmed 0:45:09.410 --> 0:45:13.100 his understanding of God's master plan as the brothers bowed 0:45:13.100 --> 0:45:17.750 before Joseph, saying, we are your slaves. He answered, don't 0:45:17.750 --> 0:45:20.540 be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You 0:45:20.540 --> 0:45:23.750 intended to harm me, but God intended it for good 0:45:23.750 --> 0:45:27.170 to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of 0:45:27.170 --> 0:45:30.830 many lives. Well, it's time to quietly slip away from 0:45:30.830 --> 0:45:33.799 the palace and head on home. But what lesson can 0:45:33.830 --> 0:45:36.530 we carry along with us as we watch Joseph go 0:45:36.530 --> 0:45:39.980 from the pits to the palace? I think it's this. 0:45:39.980 --> 0:45:43.610 We all experience highs and lows in life, and sometimes 0:45:43.610 --> 0:45:46.580 those struggles are caused by others. But rather than getting 0:45:46.610 --> 0:45:50.450 angry or becoming depressed or seeking revenge, God has a 0:45:50.450 --> 0:45:55.190 better response. First face life. Realistically, there are people who 0:45:55.190 --> 0:45:58.580 will mistreat you, disrespect you, even try to harm you. 0:45:58.580 --> 0:46:01.820 But look beyond those circumstances and focus on the God 0:46:01.820 --> 0:46:04.520 of the universe. And as you do, respond in a 0:46:04.520 --> 0:46:07.790 way that pleases and honors him, even if nothing seems 0:46:07.790 --> 0:46:11.180 to change in your life. Joseph kept his focus on God, 0:46:11.180 --> 0:46:14.239 and he consciously chose to always do what was pleasing 0:46:14.270 --> 0:46:16.820 to God, even when it looked as if his actions 0:46:16.820 --> 0:46:20.090 were in vain. You do your part and then trust 0:46:20.090 --> 0:46:23.750 God to do his part at just the right time. Remember, 0:46:23.750 --> 0:46:25.850 he's the one who can take you from the pits 0:46:25.850 --> 0:46:27.049 to the palace. 0:46:27.080 --> 0:46:31.730 Thank you. Charlie. Face life realistically. Focus on God and 0:46:31.730 --> 0:46:34.339 leave the results to him. Great advice and a great 0:46:34.340 --> 0:46:37.670 story as well from Genesis. I appreciate that devotional and 0:46:37.670 --> 0:46:40.549 appreciate you hanging with us today for the entire broadcast. 0:46:40.550 --> 0:46:42.710 You can hear it all again at The Land and 0:46:42.710 --> 0:46:46.850 the book.org, and we hope you'll be with us next time. 0:46:46.850 --> 0:46:49.700 I'm John Gager for Charlie Dyer and Dan Anderson. The 0:46:49.700 --> 0:46:52.580 land and the book is a production of Moody Radio, 0:46:52.610 --> 0:46:55.040 a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.